Another Chance
by Charming Tia
Summary: This story begins immediately after Centennial Charmed and ignores all of the episodes after that. Cole is given the chance to change how it all ends. Mostly ColePhoebe, but all of the characters are included.
1. Chapter 1

**If this one seems familiar to any of you, it's because I posted it several years ago. I've found my way back to it and so it will continue but not without some re-writing (both to tweak the story a bit and because there were some sentences that even I couldn't figure out...and that's bad...)**

**So here it is again, only new and improved, and this time to be finished :-)**

**DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be in fanfic archives for general distribution only with the author's permission, and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices. **

**DISCLAIMER: Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige, Leo Wyatt, Cole Turner, the Seer, the Source and all other characters that have appeared in the series "Charmed" together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, and the Warner Brothers Television Network. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.**

**Title: Another Chance**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: Cole finds himself in the past, before Belthazor was vanquished and things went downhill. But can Cole change the outcome, or is history doomed to repeat itself? Picks up with Cole immediately after the end of 'Centennial Charmed' and ignores every episode that happened after :-)**

Cole screamed as the flames consumed him. Worse than the flames, though, was the pain of seeing Phoebe throw the potion at him…and vanquishing him…again… Then it all went dark, and Cole had a sensation of falling…and then of being cold. It was so cold, and damp, and…

He opened his eyes and saw that he was standing on the balcony of the penthouse. It was nighttime, and the fog was beginning to roll in. "No doubt they'll be here soon," he said, and after closing the French doors he went to sit on the sofa. Wait…weren't those doors broken when he sent Paige through them after her insipid attempt to destroy him. _What does it matter?_ he though. Seeing how miserable Phoebe had been, ending up forced to stay with him to protect Piper…he shook his head. How could he have become like that? He and Phoebe had lovers? He was working with the Seer to get her pregnant with his heir? No…no, that was all wrong. Maybe he hadn't changed the past, but instead had gone to an alternate reality, one where Paige had died and the Power of Three had died with her and Prue.

But if that was the case, what reality was he in now? Why was he even here? He was supposed to be dead and vanquished. _Isn't the third time supposed to be a charm?_ Cole laughed out loud at the thought and went over to pick up the picture of him and Phoebe. _How did we get here, Phoebe? How did our love go so wrong, and in such a short time? I love you so much…and without you I've gone insane. I can't live without you, Phoebe._

There was the familiar sound of someone orbing in, and Cole closed his eyes and clutched the picture to his chest. No doubt Paige had orbed there with her sisters, to kill him once again. He only hoped that this time they would succeed. Death had become a welcome alternative to stumbling through each day in a haze of pain.

"Cole, what are you doing here?"

"Leo?" Cole asked, turning around. Leo was the last person he had been expecting to see.

"I don't care what you're doing here. Just come with me, please. Phoebe needs you."

"Phoebe needs me?" Cole almost laughed as he said it. "Needs me dead maybe," he added under his breath.

"Cole, what the hell is wrong with you?" Leo asked, this time rather angrily. "Prue's funeral is tomorrow afternoon, and…" Then Leo paled, and the anger disappeared from his tone. "Cole, you don't blame yourself for Prue's death, do you?"

"Prue's funeral is…tomorrow?" Cole held his head in his hands. _I have finally lost all touch with reality…welcome to the world of the insane…_

"You aren't okay, are you?" Leo sat on the couch next to Cole, clearly unsure what to do. "Why don't you come back to the Manor with me. It'll help Phoebe to know that you're safe."

Cole laughed again. Safe. Safe was such a relative term. Safe from what? Certainly not from himself…

"I'll meet you back at the Manor?" Leo asked, and Cole nodded. After the whitelighter orbed out, Cole put his head back in his hands.

"What the hell is going on?" he cried out, his voice breaking.

"I told you there would be consequences."

Cole saw one of the Avatars standing before him. The one who had given him his power, and had then appeared in the altered reality to warn him to change things back before it was too late. "Guess it's too late, huh?" Cole said. "You here to gloat or what?"

"I'm here to explain what happened."

"I changed the past, and made things worse instead of better, I was vanquished, and now I'm back here…wherever this is."

"First, you weren't vanquished. Then again, that's rather obvious, isn't it? You see, you can't really change the past. What you did was to create a universe where Paige had died, and the Power of Three was unable to be reconstituted after Prue died. How the Paige from your original universe got there along with you is a long story. The important part is that when Phoebe threw the potion at you, she vanquished your existence from that Universe…and sent you to this Universe because it is at the very point in time where everything changed from the Universe you knew to the Universe you created."

"I don't understand."

"The path that you and the Charmed Ones were on was changed when Paige wasn't alive to see Prue's obituary in the paper. That is the moment that set the wheels in motion. Paige came to the funeral, Phoebe touched her and had the premonition, and the rest is…or will be…history."

"Will be?"

"This is your reality now. Tomorrow, Paige will come to Prue's funeral, and it will all begin again. Except that this time, you know where it all went wrong and perhaps you can fix it, but you cannot tell anyone else of the future. After all, the future may be entirely different here."

"I don't see how. It all went wrong when I worked with the Seer and ended up possessed by the Source, but if I hadn't done that then the Source would have killed Phoebe and her sisters."

"You're wrong Cole. That's not when it all went wrong. I should leave you now."

"Wait...if I'm here, what happened to Paige? Was she returned to the right reality?"

The Avatar smiled. "She is exactly where she needs to be."

"What does that mean? And what did you mean about consequences?" Cole asked, but he got no answer. The Avatar disappeared without another word, replaced by Leo who orbed in looking more concerned than before.

"Cole, you coming?"

"Yeah. I'm right behind you Leo." Cole took a moment to get used to having Belthazor back. His evil side, although not nearly as evil as the Source had been…Cole shuddered at the memory and then shimmered to the Manor.

"Look who I found," Leo announced as Cole walked into the living room.

"Cole," Phoebe said, rushing over to wrap her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're here."

Feeling Phoebe's arms around him, her heart beating against his chest, convinced Cole that he was going to find a way to make things different this time around. "I love you," he said as kissed the top of her head. _I won't lose your love this time, Phoebe._


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the evening went by as a restless blur, and before Cole knew it, it was morning. Leo had been right in the penthouse, Cole did blame himself for Prue's death. If he had been strong enough to resist Raynor…if Phoebe hadn't gone down to the Underworld to save him…if Leo hadn't gone down to get Phoebe…Prue might not have died. Thinking of a grieving Piper, he wondered how things would be if Tempest had not reset time…then Piper would be dead. As much as Cole had come to respect Prue, there was no way she would have been able to teach Paige the ways of being a witch the way that Piper had. And of course he was thinking of all the things that he wished he had done differently…but which moment was the one that caused it all to go wrong?

"Cole, honey, what is it?" Phoebe asked, turning onto her side so she could prop herself up on one arm and look at Cole. "You didn't sleep all night, did you?"

"I was just thinking."

Reaching across to caress his cheek, Phoebe then leaned over and kissed his lips, ever so gently like she thought he might break. "Talk to me, Cole. What's bothering you?"

"Do you ever regret…us? I mean, our relationship and all that it has cost you?"

"Of course not. Cole, where is this coming from?"

"You don't worry that some part of me will always be evil?"

"Okay, now you're starting to worry me. Why are you asking me this?"

"I just…I wonder sometimes if I'm not a liability, and if you and your sisters might not be safer if I was…gone."

"Nothing that happens could make me regret loving you. Nothing, because I know that you are not evil. We all have a little part of us that can be lured by evil, but you have chosen to be good just like my sisters and I chose to be good witches. Cole, Prue's death was not your fault. Is that was this is about?"

"No Phoebe, I…I can't explain it. Maybe someday I can, but not now. Not yet, anyway. But will you promise me something?"

"Anything Cole. Anything that will give you peace of mind."

"If you ever decide that I'm evil, and that I just want to destroy you and your sisters…would you just remember this moment, and remember how much we love each other?"

"Cole, what do you think is going to happen? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I just need you to believe, I mean truly believe, that no matter how things appear I would never, ever turn back to evil, or hurt you or your sisters."

"It would have to be something pretty bad to make me believe that you would hurt us."

"Pretty bad things happen, Phoebe."

"That they do," she replied, looking over at the dress she had picked out to wear to Prue's funeral. "I couldn't get through this without you."

"And I will lose my mind if I ever lose you," he answered. "Just know that everything I do is for you, to keep you and your family safe. You're all I have, Phoebe."

"I can see that this conversation is very important to you, and while I cannot believe that I could ever doubt your motives I swear that if that time ever comes, I will remember this conversation and remind myself that you would never hurt me. Now we don't have to get up for a few more hours, so why don't you let me hold you while you get some rest, okay?"

With a nod Cole felt himself relax, feeling a little bit better. Was this what he needed to do? Be sure that Phoebe really had accepted him and didn't have doubts about him? _No_, he thought. _That's just too easy. But at least I know that she didn't…no, that she **doesn't** have doubts…yet._ And with that thought, Cole let himself drift off to sleep, content with the knowledge that he still had time to try and change the events that led to the whole insane mess…

While waiting for Leo to get Piper so they could go to Prue's funeral, Cole continued to ponder what it was that he had to change in order to change how things ended. _Maybe_, he thought while Phoebe tied his tie, _I shouldn't have asked her to marry me when I did. I can't believe I asked her at that moment, while covered in green demon-goo._ Taking a deep breath, he kissed the top of Phoebe's head when she announced his tie to be finished. He knew they had to save Paige, because without her…without her the future would be the same as the one he had just come from, and that was more than he could bear to think about. No, he would just let things play out as they had, including letting the Source try to kill him. After all, Paige and Leo had saved him before, and they would save him again, since he hadn't done anything to change things.

Had he?

Well, the night before the funeral had been different because Leo had found him and brought him back sooner, but…no, that couldn't have changed things that much. It was just one more night that he got to spend with Phoebe.

"Cole? Hello? Anybody home, or am I talking to an empty room?"

"Phoebe? I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

With a sigh, Phoebe shook her head and took his hand. "I said it's time for us to leave. Piper and Leo are already in the car."

"Right, the funeral. Let's go."

"Cole, it was not your fault that Prue died. Shax killed her, and he and the Source are the only ones to blame."

"I can still mourn her, can't I?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I've been so caught up in my own grief that I never considered the fact that you might miss her too, in your own way. It's just…well, it's not like the two of you were close."

"That doesn't mean I wanted her to die, Phoebe," he said quietly. "I didn't hate her."

"I know, baby. Come on, let's go to the funeral."

Everything happened just as Cole remembered it, including Paige's appearance, Phoebe's premonition and, unfortunately, Inspector Cortez. Knowing that Phoebe would soon send him to Timbuktu had at least lifted his spirits for a while, and he watched with Phoebe from their observation point looking for Paige—and Shax—to appear.

"Here," Cole said as he handed her a cup of coffee and took the binoculars from her. "I see your innocent," he told her as Paige and Shane walked onto the rooftop. Grabbing Phoebe's hand, he shimmered her and her coffee to the edge of the building just as Shax appeared. Cole was able to fire off an energy ball before Shax attacked, and Paige and Shane both ran for the stairs unharmed. "Read the spell!" Cole yelled when Shax barely flinched as the energy ball hit him.

Phoebe read the spell just as before, wounding Shax, but not enough to stop him from firing a large blast at Cole. It knocked him over the side of the railing. "Cole!" Phoebe screamed as he shimmered away before hitting the pavement below.

"That was close," he said, feeling her wrap her arms around him when she realized he had shimmered behind her.

"Too close."

"Where's Pa—your innocent?" Cole asked, looking around. There was no sign of Paige or Shane, and Phoebe sighed, tightening her hold on him.

"She and her boyfriend ran for the stairs as soon as they saw you throw an energy ball. They got away."

"We have to find her. I'm taking you home, and then I'm going to the Underworld to snoop around and find out why Shax was after her." _Because if you and Piper don't reconstitute the Power of Three with Paige..._

"We saved her, Cole. Whatever reason Shax had for going after her, he didn't get her. I know that we need to figure out why he was after her in the first place, but for now let's just go home. It's been a very trying day, and I just want to rest and relax."

_It can't hurt to wait a little while...I don't have to actually go to the Underworld anyway, since I already know why Shax is after Paige._ "What do you say to you and I taking a nice, long hot bath together, hmm? You wash my back and I'll wash yours?" he said while nuzzling her neck.

"You've got yourself a deal, mister."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - WickedR, the reason that I'm uploading one chapter at a time is because I'm making some corrections and fixing the formatting. The chapters that I have were recovered from an old PC that crashed, so there are a lot of odd codes in the text that have to be removed. Don't worry, I'll be getting the story up as quickly as I can :-)**

Cole shimmered out of the Manor in the wee hours of the morning, telling Phoebe that he was going to the Underworld to see if he could find out why Shax was after Paige. He had no intention of going to the Underworld, though. He didn't need to; he already knew the answer to the question. He had just wanted to spend some time alone, to figure out what he should do now. At one time Cole had wished that he had been able to foresee the future so that he could have prevented what happened, but now…now knowing the future was an almost unbearable burden. The slightest little chance could have a snowball affect, and he had already made some little changes, the biggest one being that Paige hadn't orbed so Phoebe and Piper had no idea that Paige was magical.

So now that he had made changes, how far did he go in changing the little things? Should he stop Cortez from discovering the girls in the attack with their dead mother and grandmother? Or should he just bring Cortez straight back to the Manor after retrieving him from Timbuktu?

Yes, that would work…he would let Phoebe send Cortez to Timbuktu, but he wouldn't drop him off in Hell on the way back. Now he just had to return to the Manor and tell Phoebe and Piper that the Source believed Paige to be another Charmed One, and then…and then wait for the moment when the Source would stab him and leave him to suffer until Phoebe found him -- and hope that Paige and Leo would save him. But Shane hadn't been hurt by Shax this time, which meant he wouldn't end up in the hospital. Would the Source still choose to possess him, or would he chose another vessel? This whole changing and not changing the future thing was giving him a migraine.

Finally, Cole decided to take a trip to the Underworld, just to have a quick peek. If nothing else, it would confuse any bounty hunters that were tracking him and maybe he could get a clue as to who the Source would possess this time around. While in the Underworld, Cole found the talk to be pretty much the same as before, Paige was a Charmed One and had to be destroyed before she reunited with her sisters. Learning nothing useful, he was about to shimmer back to the surface when he was hit with an energy ball, a bounty hunter having succeeded in tracking him without his knowledge. _Don't be getting careless now,_ he though as he destroyed the bounty hunter with a well-aimed energy ball of his own before shimmering to the Mausoleum. Right then he wanted nothing more than to go to the Manor and let Phoebe make it all better, but he knew that it was what the Source and the bounty hunters would expect. No, he would not have them attacking the Manor. It was a minor wound, and one that would heal, and it was a reminder that he mustn't assume that things were going to play out exactly as they had before.

He wasn't sure how long he had stayed in the Mausoleum, but when he returned to the Manor it was early afternoon. Phoebe wasn't there in the living room, but Piper and Leo were. "Did you find out anything?" Piper asked before noticing the burned fabric of his shirt. "Cole, are you okay?"

"Bounty hunter snuck up on me," he said with a shrug. "I'm okay. And yes, I did learn something. Something very interesting."

"Cole, oh thank goodness you're back safe and sound," Phoebe said, running to him from the stairs. "I worry so much about you when you're gone," she told him, snuggling against his chest with her arms around him.

"I'm fine, Phoebe. Really."

"So what did you learn?" Leo asked.

"The reason that the Source sent Shax after that girl. Seems he thinks she may be another Charmed One."

"What? Why would he think that?" Phoebe was looking at him like he was crazy.

"That's just what the word is down in the Underworld. I'm sorry, honey, but I couldn't exactly walk up to the Source and say 'by the way, care to explain just why you think there's another Charmed One?' without getting myself killed."

"I know, Cole."

"Why don't I go ask the Elders if they have any idea who this girl is and why the Source thinks she might be a Charmed One." With that Leo orbed out, and Piper sighed and shook her head.

"This just doesn't make sense. I mean, according to the Book the Charmed Ones are sisters."

"So," Phoebe told Piper, "maybe we should ask Grams if she knows anything. You said that she told you 'your destiny still awaits'. I think she knows more than she was willing to let on."

The rest of the events happened as Cole remembered them, including the revelation that the girls had a half-sister, Paige, and Phoebe's spell that sent Cortez to Timbuktu ("It rhymes with 'undo'"). This time, though, when Cole went after the Inspector he returned him to the attic and Piper froze him.

"Okay, now what do we do with him?" Piper asked, looking from face to face for an answer.

"Leo, isn't it true that there is some sort of 'memory dust' that can be used in cases such as this?" Cole asked, remembering the time when Leo had used it…or was that would use it?…after Phoebe used magic to prove a defendant's innocence while serving jury duty.

"Well, yes…" Leo answered hesitantly, "but it…it's unpredictable. There's no telling what might be erased. Doctor's appointments, job interviews, a child's birthday…"

"So we'll have Darryl watch out for him for a while, make sure he hasn't forgotten anything important," Piper said. "Or have you forgotten what happened the last time we were exposed?"

"All right," Leo said, "I'll do it, and then I'll call Darryl and have him pick up the good inspector. Unfreeze him and I'll orb him somewhere else before I use the memory dust."

"And while you're doing that, we need to try to find Paige," Phoebe said, giggling a little as Cole wrapped his arms around her and tickled her sides.

"Any chance this is something that can be done while we snuggle together?" he whispered in her ear.

"Cole, I would love to snuggle with you, really, it's just that…we have to find Paige before the Source does."

"I say we check out that church that Mom told us about," Piper told them as Leo orbed out with Inspector Cortez, "so while I'm driving, the two of you can have your 'snuggle' time in the back seat."

"Thank you, Piper," Cole told her as they all headed downstairs.

"Just remember, you owe me," she replied with a wink.


	4. Chapter 4

As she drove to the church, Piper relaxed at the sound of Cole and Phoebe giggling. Something was bothering Cole, and she had a feeling it wasn't just that Shax was still out there and the Source was after a girl who might be another Charmed One. While Cole had left to see why the Source had sent Shax after Paige, Phoebe had told Piper about their exchange regarding Prue. Now Piper felt somewhat guilty that she had never even considered that Cole might be hurting, too. Well once they found Paige and unbound her powers – if she was another Charmed One – Piper was going to make the time to have a talk with Cole. He was part of her family too, and she was not going to let him hurt by himself.

Pulling into a parking space behind the church, Piper looked in her rear view mirror and saw Cole's reflection look at her. He had seemed so happy and relaxed just a moment before, but as soon as he saw Piper looking at him he looked…guilty. _Does he blame himself for Prue's death? I really need to talk to him and get this all out in the open so he stops carrying so much guilt around._

"I'll stay outside and keep an eye out," Cole said as they all exited Piper's vehicle.

"Be careful," Piper said as Phoebe gave him a quick kiss.

"I will," he promised before watching them walk inside. _Okay, so far so good. Just a few minor changes…so Paige didn't come to the Manor like before…that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just means her powers haven't been unbound yet. Maybe Paige won't come here to the church, which means the Source won't show up while the girls are here. At least the Gargoyles are quiet…_

* * *

Inside the church, Piper and Phoebe were talking to a nun, Sister Ann. When the girls told her that they were looking for their long-lost half-sister, Paige, the nun immediately knew who they were talking about. "Her parents came here with her, and asked that we find her a good home. It was obvious that they were heartbroken, and they said that the child would be in great danger if she stayed with them."

"Did they say what kind of danger?" Piper asked.

"No, but I could see that it must have been real, for they were in so much pain. All they asked was that her name start with a 'P'. I'm sorry, but that's really all I can tell you."

* * *

He didn't feel anything or notice anything as he walked around the parking lot, but suddenly the Gargoyles started their…well, whatever you'd want to call the noise they made when they came alive to ward off evil. Cole put his hands over his ears as the pitch began to make his head throb. That was when Cole felt it…the Source's aura was reaching out to him, which meant the Source was close by. He tried to make it to the church, to go in and warn the girls, but suddenly Shane flamed in beside him, obviously possessed. Shane's hand plunged an athame deep into Cole's side while the other hand gripped Cole's chin and forced him to look into those black, evil eyes.

"Don't worry, traitor; you'll see your precious witch one last time before you die. I want you to draw your last breath while she holds you in her arms and feels the pain of loss…again." With that the Source released Cole, who collapsed onto the ground between two parked cars where no one could see him while Shane's eyes returned to normal and he walked into the church.

Cole tried to get up, grabbing onto the doors of the cars, but each time he started to rise his legs collapsed and he fell painfully back onto the pavement. _No, this isn't how it was supposed to be…not yet…he wasn't supposed to…Phoebe…oh god, he's going to get Paige and destroy the girls and I…I let him. I caused this…Phoebe, I'm so sorry. Piper…Piper, I didn't mean for this to happen. I…_ Feeling himself growing weaker, Cole tried calling for Leo even though he knew the whitelighter couldn't hear him. Finally the tears began to flow as Cole knew that this time there would be no saving him… "I don't want to die," he whispered to whatever beings might be listening. "Please, I don't want to die. Not like this. Please."

* * *

The sound of footsteps made Phoebe turn around, and she saw Paige walking down the aisle of the church. "Hey, we were just looking for you."

"You…you were?"

"Yep," Piper said.

"That's kind of funny, because I was just at your house looking for you. But obviously you weren't there, so I…I came here. What are you two doing here?"

"Oh, we were just trying to find out more about you…sis," Phoebe said.

"What?" Paige asked.

"It seems," Piper began explaining, "that our mother had a baby that she brought to this church so the Sisters here would find the baby a good home. We think you might be that baby."

"You know, I…I go to P3 all the time because for some reason I've always felt…I don't know, drawn to you. I used to imagine that you were my sisters, but then I…I found out that your mother had died several years ago and I figured that was the end of that."

Before anyone could say anything further, the doors burst open at the far end of the church and they could hear Shane yelling, "Paige…help…me…"

"Shane?" Paige started running towards him, as did Phoebe and Piper. "Shane, what's the matter?" Paige asked when she reached him, and once she was outside the church where he was a force threw Piper and Phoebe backwards and caused the doors to slam shut.

The girls quickly got to their feet and opened the door, but by the time they got outside there was no sign of Shane or Paige. "Maybe Cole saw them," Phoebe said, but then she became frantic when she couldn't find Cole. "Cole?" she started calling. "Cole?"

"Phoebe," he whispered, causing pain to cut through him much like the Source's athame had. "Phoebe…"

"Maybe he went after Paige," Piper said when there was no response to Phoebe repeatedly calling his name. "Come on, let's go back to the Manor and see if Leo can help us."

"I don't think so Piper. Cole wouldn't just leave like that."

"No…Piper…Phoebe…" The words were barely audible as he began to slip into darkness. Unfortunately the darkness only made him more aware of the pain that his wound was causing him. Whatever magic the Source had used, it was eating right into his human soul and preventing him from turning into Belthazor, since he knew his demonic form could handle the pain better.

"Did you hear something?" Piper asked. She was sure her ears had picked up on a faint whisper, but she had no idea what the whisper had said.

"No."

"Phoebe, I don't like this. We know that Cole was out here, and we know that the Source was here…"

"Oh god, what if he attacked Cole first?" Phoebe cried. "We have to find him!"

"We will, Phoebe. Let's just start going up and down the aisles, okay?"

* * *

Cole couldn't hear them because he was trapped in the blackness, but he felt his life beginning to slip further and further away. _Phoebe, she must be here. The Source said I would die in her arms. At least I'm not alone. I love you Phoebe._ Then he felt himself get slightly stronger, and he realized that she had to be walking around, for his life force now seemed to wane and grow almost rhythmically.

"Over here!" Piper called out as she knelt beside Cole's form. His hands were still clutching his side, and Piper could see that there was a lot of blood.

"Cole!" Phoebe cried as she sank to her knees and cradled his head on her lap. "Cole, sweetie, you have to hang on. You cannot leave me, do you hear me?" she asked as the tears ran down her face.

Cole knew that Phoebe had found him when he felt his life force grow so weak that it was barely noticeable, and he was starting to grow very tired and cold. _I love you Phoebe. I got another chance to be with you and I've screwed it up. I'm so sorry, Phoebe. I'm so sorry…I love you…_

Piper raised her hands and froze Cole, stopping him from bleeding any more. "Leo!" she called, and she and Phoebe waited anxiously for the whitelighter to appear. "Leo!"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know this is a short one, but I figured a short chapter was better than no chapter :-)

* * *

Leo orbed beside Piper and quickly surmised why she had called him. "Piper, you know that I--"

"Heal him." Piper's tone was firm and left no room for arguments.

"I can only heal his human half, Piper. It might not be enough."

"Try." Piper clenched her fists. "I will not lose another member of this family."

Leo placed his hand over the wound, remembering what happened the first time he tried to heal Cole. This time there was nothing like that as his hand glowed.

To Cole, his body filled with pain just as he was about to let go. It surprised him when his eyes slowly opened and he saw Phoebe. _Why aren't I dead?_ Then he saw Piper and Leo and realized that the whitelighter had tried to heal him.

"Orb Cole and Phoebe back to the Manor," Piper told her husband, "and I'll drive home and see you shortly, okay?"

Leo orbed straight into Phoebe's bedroom and helped get Cole settled on the bed. "You should have let me die," Cole said as Leo eased him onto a pillow.

"I couldn't just let you die, and besides, Piper is determined that she is not going to lose any more members of this family."

"Phoebe?"

"I'm here Cole," she said, squeezing the hand she was holding.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this Phoebe."

"Hush, you conserve your energy, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

"Leo, how much time do you think I have?"

"I don't know, Cole. The Source's magic is slowly going to destroy you because I was only able to heal your human half."

"There has to be something we can do," Phoebe said as she wiped at the tears that were running down her face.

"No regrets, Phoebe," Cole said softly as he closed his eyes. "At least I know that you love me, and that's enough."

* * *

As soon as Piper got back to the Manor she began mixing herbs together to come up with something that might help heal Cole. Tears were filling her eyes until she could barely see, and finally she set her wooden spoon down on the counter and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, then sank to her knees as she finally let the emotions out.

"I don't want to lose my family," she sobbed, looking upwards as she addressed the Elders that she felt could interfere if they wanted to. "Haven't we suffered enough? Wasn't it enough for you to let Prue die? All Cole has done is tried to help us. He is a good man, damn it!" Piper screamed as she collapsed against a wall and let the overwhelming sorrow take over. "Please don't let him die," she said softly, over and over as she rocked herself. "Please, don't let him die."

"Piper?" Cole asked softly. "Is Piper here?"

"She must be downstairs," Leo said. "I'll go down and get her."

"She's…she's crying for me." He turned to look at Phoebe. "Piper's crying for me. I really am part of the family."

"Of course you're part of the family," Phoebe assured him as Leo orbed back in with Piper, who still had tears running down her face.

"Piper?" Cole whispered the name as soon as he saw her, and she knelt on the floor beside the bed and rested her head on her arms. "Shh, it's okay. Piper, please don't cry," he said.

"You can't leave us, Cole. You can't. It's not fair, they can't just take you away too. I won't let them." Raising her head, she tried to sound confident. "I'm making a healing potion now. Let me go get it, and…"

"Piper…" He started to tell her that she couldn't defeat the Source's magic, but he knew that she had to try. For her own peace of mind, she had to be sure she had done everything possible. "Thank you, Piper."

"I'll be right back, okay?" Piper kissed his forehead before running out of the room, leaving Leo and Phoebe to watch over Cole.

"How are you doing?" Leo asked, realizing how stupid that sounded.

Cole understood what the whitelighter meant, though. "Not good," he replied. "Phoebe, baby, there's something I have to tell you…" His body tensed as he could literally feel the Source's magic eating away at part of him.

"Cole, I'm here. Just stay with me Cole. Please," Phoebe said, gripping his hand.

"Phoebe, I…I tried to change things. I wanted it to be better. I tried but I…I'm sorry…"

"Okay, here we are," Piper said, rushing into the room with a cup filled with something and some strips of white cotton fabric.

Cole was only sure that it had a soothing fragrance and he liked it. "What is it?"

"Hopefully, it's enough healing herbs to save you. Now just relax while I soak some of this fabric and Phoebe can hold it again your wound."

As Phoebe applied the wet compress, Cole felt the warm liquid seeping into his body through the open wound. It made him relax, and the pain went away._ Maybe this is the end…_ "Piper?"

"What is it, Cole? Is there something that you want? I'll get anything, I swear." Again her eyes filled with tears. "I'll do anything."

"There's no more pain, Piper. Thank you."

"You see," Phoebe told him, "you're going to be all right. If anyone could make a healing potion for you, it's Piper."

"I'm tired, Phoebe. I'm just so tired."

"Cole, you have to stay with us. Please don't leave me," Phoebe said, and she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. "Don't you dare leave me," she whispered.

Orbs began to surround Cole's body, only they were golden instead of the blue and white orbs of a whitelighter. Taking in a deep breath, Cole felt himself slowly growing stronger and Piper and Phoebe watched as the wound healed itself. "Leo?" Cole asked, a little bit frightened of what was going on. "What's happening to me?"

"I'm not sure, Cole," Leo answered, "but I think it's a good thing. Just relax and let it happen."

"Leo?" This time it was Piper who was looking at him with questioning eyes, but Leo just shrugged.

Slowly the orbs vanished, and Cole sat up and looked at the spot where the athame had cut through him. "I'm healed," he said to himself.

"It worked! Oh baby, it worked!" Phoebe hugged Cole tight and covered his face with kisses before she turned and hugged Piper so tight her older sister nearly suffocated. "Oh thank you Piper! I can never repay you for this."

"You could let me breath," Piper said, shaking her head when Phoebe finally released her. "I can't take the credit for this, Phoebe. Those orbs did not come from my potion."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Another short chapter to leave you hanging, but it won't be for long. Chapter 7 will be up soon, I swear.**

* * *

"I'm going to see what explanation the Elders have for this," Leo said, orbing away before anyone could stop him.

"You have to find your sister," Cole said, his eyes closed as he realized just how tired he felt. "Go, find her before the Source turns her."

"Cole?" Phoebe asked, confused.

"Just go. She works as a social worker, and the Source is going to try to get her to use her magic for evil." Then Cole thought for a moment. "Only her powers haven't been unbound yet, have they?"

"Cole, you just rest, okay?" Piper told him. "You may be healed, but I don't think your body has fully recovered from the trauma yet."

_Paige's powers aren't unbound…that means that the Source won't be trying to get her to use them for evil, because she doesn't have them yet…what have I done? Now I have no idea what is going to happen next…_

"What's the matter?" Piper asked, putting her hand on Cole's forehead. "Why don't I make you some tea, okay? It'll help calm your nerves."

"You have to find Paige. Please."

"When Leo gets back we'll see if he knows anything about her."

"She works for social services. Please, you have to find her and bring her back here so her powers can be unbound."

"How do you know she works for social services?" Phoebe asked.

"I just…I just do. You and Piper have to find her. If you don't…" _Uh-oh. I've said to much. Way too much, judging by the looks on their faces._ "When the Source stabbed me and left me to die, I…I saw images," he quickly explained. _Technically, I saw my life pass before my eyes because I thought that I **was** going to die, but still…it was images…_ "Maybe the Source wanted me to know what he had planned, to torture me by showing me how he was going to destroy Paige and then the two of you. Please, believe me. You have to find Paige and fast."

"As soon as Leo gets back, I promise you we'll try to find her," Piper said.

"Just rest, honey," Phoebe told him, giving him a quick kiss. "You nearly died, remember?"

"I'm not a sick little kid, and I will not lie here and rest while your half-sister is destroyed and the Power of Three along with it. Do you have any idea what will happen to you and Piper if you can't be the Charmed Ones again?"

Leo orbed back in, but he didn't say a word as he watched Piper try to calm Cole down.

"It is not your job to keep us safe, Cole."

"Yes it is, Piper! Don't you get it? I…I have to be sure that you're all safe and alive, and that you stay that way. Right now you and Phoebe are vulnerable, and until you reconstitute the Power of Three you will continue to be vulnerable. In fact I should go. The Source is just going to keep coming after me, especially since now I'm a traitor, and I won't put the two of you in danger."

"Phoebe, why don't you check the Book of Shadows and see if there's a spell that might help us find Paige," Piper told her younger sister. "I'll stay here with Cole."

Realizing that her older sister had something in mind, Phoebe gave Cole a quick kiss and then headed for the attic.

"Cole Turner, I don't know exactly what happened when Phoebe went to the Underworld to save you, and I never will because I wasn't there. I do know, very well, what happened up here during that time, and it **was…not…your…fault**." Piper emphasized the words so that there was no question about what she was saying. "Prue didn't die because Phoebe went to the Underworld to save you. Prue died because the Source sent a demon to kill us. That would have happened whether you and Phoebe were in the Underworld or sitting in the living room."

"If Phoebe had been here, the Power of Three might have defeated Shax."

"Or Phoebe might be the one that died, or she and Prue might both have died, or she and I might have died, or all three of us might have died. Don't play this game, Cole, because you can't win it. We don't know what would have happened and we never will." Remembering some words of her grandmother's, Piper smiled and took his hand in her own. "Everything happens for a reason. I'm just glad that you're okay, because I won't lose anyone else in this family."

Leo had shook his head when Phoebe saw him on her way to the attic, not wanting to interrupt this moment between Cole and Piper. Stepping back further so they wouldn't see him, Leo wondered how he could have missed this side of Cole before – the side that thought of all of them, not just Phoebe, as family. Piper obviously considered Cole to be part of her family…Leo couldn't help but think that perhaps he had missed other things as well. _Cole is a part of this family, and I agree with Piper…we will not lose anyone else._

When he was sure that he wouldn't be interrupting, Leo walked into the room and smiled at Cole and Piper. "Well, as soon as Phoebe comes back I'll give you the good news."

"Good news?" Piper asked. "From the Elders?"

"Yes, Piper, good news. I know who healed Cole, and why."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: See, I didn't leave you hanging too long :-)**

* * *

"So tell us already!" Piper said impatiently. "Who healed Cole?"

Phoebe had come down from the attic and joined them when she heard Piper's excited voice. "You know who healed him?"

"Yes, I do, and it wasn't the Elders."

"What? Who else…" Phoebe began, but Leo interrupted her.

"The Fates."

"The what?" Cole asked, sitting up. _Not a good decision,_ he thought to himself as his head started to spin and he lay back down. "Why would the Fates help me?"

"Prue asked them to," Leo began explaining. "She begged the Fates to interfere, and when they heard Piper's cries and Phoebe's also, well…they agreed. Besides, according to the Fates, it was not your destiny to die at that moment."

Just then the golden orbs that had surrounded Cole when he was healed began to swirl around the room, and a woman appeared in the midst of them, dressed in a silver robe. "Can't expect the Elders to get the story right," she stated, turning and smiling at all in the room. "I am Lachesis, the apportioner, middle sister of the Fates. Magical forces are at play now, and those forces center on you." She rested her hand on Cole's. "I could not deny Prue's request, nor turn a deaf ear to Piper's anguish or Phoebe's cries and your own pleas that you didn't want to die, when my sisters and I knew that another path was meant for you. A path you have walked once before."

"What do you mean by a path he has walked once before?" Phoebe asked when she saw all of the color drain from Cole's face. "What do you want with Cole?"

"I want nothing," Lachesis said to Phoebe before turning back to Cole. "Just because you walk the same path does not mean you have to reach the same destination. You will make many choices along the way, and each choice is the chance to create a new ending."

"You mean I…I'm not doomed to be…"

"No, Cole. You are not doomed. This time my sisters and I have woven a beautiful pattern for you…and Phoebe and her sisters as well. What picture the five of you end up creating is up to you…to each of you. Remember, there are an infinite number of realities, and each choice you make affects your life. Some changes are great, and some are subtle, but it is usually the most subtle of changes that has the greatest effect on the end result."

"So it was Prue's destiny to die?" Piper asked.

"It was not so much that dying was her destiny, as that she shall have a great influence over the world now that she is in the great 'above'. You didn't think that destiny had no place in the afterlife, did you? My dears, even the Elders are subject to the whims of the Fates…which is why they couldn't do anything about our decision that we had to save Cole."

Piper and Phoebe both smiled at the thought that there was someone who the Elders couldn't dictate to. "Can I ask you something?" Piper asked, expecting to be told no.

"That depends on what you want to ask."

"Our grandmother said that we weren't allowed to see Prue because it would keep her alive for us, and that was the same reason why she couldn't tell us if Prue was all right. Can you tell us? I just want to know if Prue is okay up there. That's all. No details, just that she's okay."

"Yes, Piper, Prue is okay, and she loves you all very much. Even you, Cole, which is why she came to us in the first place. What you do with your second chance is for you to decide, but you will not walk the path alone. Of course you all must work together to find Paige, or you shall have no destinies at all."

"What do you mean we'll have no destinies at all? It sounds to me like you've already planned our destinies, so…" Phoebe shrugged.

"Phoebe Halliwell, you have free will! As I told Cole, we merely decide the path you will take. What you do as you go on your journey is entirely up to you. We intervened to save Cole because we wanted to, and because the destinies of others would have changed drastically had he died now. It was in the best interests of many for us to answer Prue's plea and save him."

"So you didn't do it because you thought I was worth saving?" He wasn't sure why, but it hurt to know that the decision of the Fates to intervene had little to do with him. They were trying to ensure that other people's destinies weren't changed.

"No, Cole. We did it because Prue Halliwell thought you were worth saving and risked the wrath of the Elders to make her plea to us."

"But I thought you said that the Elders couldn't punish her for coming to you?" Piper asked, puzzled and concerned for Prue.

"They can't, but Prue didn't know that when she asked us to intervene. We based our decision on the fact that someone who never truly trusted you in life had come to feel you were worth the risk of trying to save. But you all must find Paige. Otherwise, who can say how events may transpire for you, and for those whose lives are interwoven with yours. Now I must go, for I have already revealed more than I intended to. Never forget those that believe in you, Cole. Prue Halliwell believes in you; believe in yourself." Lachesis disappeared in the same swirl of golden orbs that had brought her to the Manor, and the inhabitants stared at each other almost in shock.

"Prue is okay," Piper whispered, smiling as a tear made its way down her face. "Thank you Prue."

"Thanks Prue," Phoebe said, giving Piper's hand a gentle squeeze as she too shed a tear for her dead sister.

"Thank you, Prue," Cole finally said, his voice shaky. He still couldn't believe that Prue had been willing to take the risk of going to the Fates on his behalf.

"Does this mean you'll finally believe that demon half or no, you are a good man?" Phoebe asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and cradled his face in her hands.

"I'm beginning to believe it, and not just because Prue believes it. Because all of you believe it. I could sense you crying for me, Piper, and I could hear you. For the first time I felt like I really was a part of this family, and I didn't want to leave that."

"You are a part of this family, Cole," Leo said, "and I just want to say that I…well, I'm sorry for the way I have treated you in the past. I focused on the part of you that was half-demon, the part that I thought was evil and could hurt the girls, and I…I missed the part of you that just wanted to be loved and accepted for who you are. I won't lose sight of Cole Turner again."

"You guys still have to find Paige before the Source can carry out his plan," Cole finally said. "If he turns her to the side of Evil…"

"We'll find her Cole," Phoebe assured him. "Baby, is there something that you aren't telling us?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that you've been acting a little…off. I assumed that it was because of everything that's happened recently, but then Lachesis made that comment about this being a path you've walked before and…honey, you turned white as a ghost. And why did you ask her if you were doomed?"

With a resigned sigh, Cole sat up. "I have seen the future…two very different futures, actually…and in both of them you all hated me because you thought that deep down, I was evil. I've been given a second chance to change that, and to keep my family. I need you…all of you…or I'll go crazy. Literally. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again."

"You mean you've lived through all of this before?"

"No, Piper, not all of this. Before, I wasn't even at the church so I didn't nearly die there when you and Phoebe went to find information about Paige. And when Shax attacked Paige and her boyfriend on that rooftop, her boyfriend was injured and ended up in the hospital. Things are already so different here that I have no idea what is going to happen next, other than we have to find Paige and prevent the Source from turning her to the side of Evil."

"You said that Paige works for social services, so just give us an address and we'll go over there and talk to her," Phoebe said.

"I'll shimmer you there to save time," Cole offered, but before Phoebe or Leo could say a word Piper shook her head.

"Oh no, Cole Turner is not going to be shimmering us around town when he just recovered from nearly dying. You still look a little pale, sweetie. We will find Paige and we will keep her from becoming evil, but you are going to lie here and get some rest."

They heard a knocking at the front door, and Leo went to answer it. "Piper's right, you went through a terrible ordeal and what you need is to recover from that," Phoebe was telling him when Leo walked in—with Paige right behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

"Paige, what are you doing here?" Piper asked. "Are you okay? What happened after you left the church?"

"I don't know," Paige answered, tears filling her eyes. "Shane and I ended up back at my loft somehow, but I don't remember how we got there."

"How did you end up here?" This time it was Phoebe who spoke.

"I…I saw Shane's eyes go all black, and he spoke and it…it wasn't him…and I…I got scared, and the next thing I knew everything around me looked like it was dissolving into these white lights, and then it was solid again, but Shane was gone. I didn't know what to do so I came here. I don't even know why I decided to come here, but…"

"It's okay," Piper said, holding out her hand. Phoebe did the same, and Paige went over to them and took the offered hands. "You're safe here, Paige."

As soon as all three girls held hands, a white light shone around them briefly and then was gone. "What was that?" Paige asked.

"I think it means that you're meant to be here," Leo said.

Just then they heard a howling sound, and a tornado materialized into Shax just outside the bedroom. Before they could react Cole had grabbed onto Phoebe's arm, and since all three girls were holding onto each other he hoped he could shimmer them all up to the attic and the Book of Shadows.

"Read the vanquishing spell!" Cole shouted before lying on the floor. Leo had orbed up right behind them, and he knelt beside Cole as Piper and Phoebe grabbed Paige's hands and told her to read the spell with them.

Frightened by the sight of Shax as he appeared before them in the attic, Paige read the spell along with her sisters, and Shax was vanquished. "What just happened?" Paige asked, then looked to see Cole lying on the floor of the attic. "Oh my god, what's wrong?" she asked, kneeling beside him opposite Leo. "Are you okay?"

"Just a little tired," Cole said, closing his eyes.

"He'll be okay," Leo tried to assure Paige.

"Then would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"We're witches Paige…and so are you," Phoebe said.

"Witches? You mean like 'ride around on a broomstick' witches?"

"No," Piper told her, "we don't ride around on a broomstick. We do have magic powers, though. Even you."

"Yeah, right."

"How do you think that demon that was about to kill us suddenly vanished? Magic."

Paige had to admit that there was no other explanation for Shax or his death. "So are we good witches or wicked witches?"

"We're good witches, Paige."

"What's wrong with Shane though? I mean, why did his eyes go all black, and why did I see everything turn into white sparkles and then rematerialize?"

"It's called orbing. Your mother was a witch and your father was a whitelighter, like me, and whitelighters orb. Like this." Leo orbed out of the attic and then orbed back in. "It might be a survival reflex for you."

"Shane is possessed by the Source of all evil," Cole said, opening his eyes. "He's trying to turn you to the side of evil."

"Why?"

"Because you're a Charmed One, and he wants to destroy the Power of Three by breaking up you and your sisters. If he can get you to use your powers for evil during the next 48 hours, then you will belong to the side of evil."

"But I don't have any powers that I can use one way or the other."

"According to prophecy, the third sister has the power to move things with her mind," Piper said.

Before anyone could say anything else, Cole sat up. "Hold out your hand and call for an object. A small object," he added.

Looking around the attic and doubting what these people were telling her, Paige spotted a pair of sunglasses lying on a shelf. Holding out her hand, she said, "Sunglasses!" and then dropped them in shock when they dematerialized from the shelf and materialized in her waiting hand.

"Guess the whitelighter in her makes it work differently," Phoebe said to Piper.

"Well she's definitely a Charmed One," Piper said. "Welcome to the family, Paige. And you," she turned to Cole, pointing a finger, "were told no shimmering until you recovered."

"I'm sorry, next time I'll just lie there and let the demon vanquish you all!"

"Sorry, Cole. What I meant to say was thank you for saving us."

"Now I remember you. You're the one that saved me and Shane when that demon was on the rooftop," Paige said. "I owe you a thanks, too. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead. Are you a witch, too?"

Phoebe had to stifle a laugh as Cole said, "No, Paige, I'm not a witch, but I am on the same side as your sisters."

"Oh my…what about Shane? We have to save him!"

All eyes turned to Cole, who groaned. "I don't know how to handle someone possessed by the Source. Usually he only uses them until he no longer needs them, then leaves them unharmed but with no memory of what happened. Maybe once you use your powers for good, the Source will leave Shane since he will no longer be able to turn you."

"So how do I use my powers for good? Do I wait for some old lady to get mugged and then call for her purse or what?"

"It's not like that Paige," Leo said. "You just came into your powers; if you don't use them for evil in the next 48 hours, you'll be a good witch."

"Oh. And if I use them for evil by mistake?"

"Don't worry. You can stay with us until the window of opportunity closes, just to be safe," Phoebe said.

"But what about Shane? You can't just let him be possessed for the next two days!"

Shane flamed in, and went over to Paige. "You don't have to worry about that, honey. I'm just fine. Let's go home, shall we?" Piper blew him up, but the pieces rematerialized right beside Paige. "I said let's go home," he growled at Paige. "Then you can use your powers to help yourself."

"You're the voice I've been hearing in my head, taunting me," she said. "Well I don't want to be evil. I want to be good, and to help people."

"And you can, Paige. Don't listen to them; they only want you for your powers, to make themselves stronger. Use your powers to make yourself stronger."

"No. You're not Shane, and you're not making me evil."

"We'll see. I still have two days to make you change your mind, but I no longer need to pretend to be your boyfriend to do so." The Source separated from Shane's body, then flamed out and left Shane to collapse on the floor.

"That was too easy," Cole said as Paige went over to Shane.

"Way too easy," Piper agreed.

"What are we going to do about Shane?" Phoebe asked. "We can't leave him here, and we can't leave him alone or the Source might possess him again."

"Maybe there's something in the Book that can help us," Piper said. "A spell against possession or…something like that…little help here?" she asked, looking up. The book came to life as the pages began slowly flipping, finally stopping on a page. "Thanks. Okay, here we are. A spell that stops a being from entering the wrong body. Well, let's just hope it's close enough to work." Piper quickly wrote down the spell, and then she, Phoebe and Paige stood around Shane's body in a circle, holding hands, and they read the spell from the paper that Piper sat on top of Shane's body so they could all see it.

_Let no spirit enter_

_This vessel we protect_

_Only one soul may exist here_

_All others you must reject_

Shane's body glowed briefly. "Now what?" Paige asked.

"Tell me where he lives, and I'll orb him home," Leo answered.

"You should orb him to my place. I'll go with you, and we'll lay him on the couch since that's where he normally sleeps anyway."

"And then I'm orbing you back here. You're safest with your sisters."

"You're sure Shane will be okay?"

"He'll be fine, honey," Piper said.

"Okay, I'll come back here after we get Shane on the couch, but I can't spend the next 48 hours here. I mean, what about my job?"

"Can't you call in sick?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, I do have time available…"

"Great. You call in sick the next two days, and we'll start teaching you what you need to know," Piper said, putting her arm around Paige.

Cole stood up and wrapped his arm around Phoebe's waist, pulling her to him. "I'm hungry," he said as she hugged him.

"After all that you've been through, I'm not surprised. Come on, I'll make you something."

"No, Phoebe, I'll fix us all something to eat while Leo and Paige take care of Shane." After Leo and Paige had orbed out, Piper addressed Cole. "You go lie down before you pass out, and let Phoebe take care of you. Go on now." Piper shooed them out of the attic, but she went back over to the Book of Shadows and closed it. "Thank you for saving him, Prue," she whispered. "I couldn't stand to lose another member of this family."

The book came to life again, the pages flipping until it came to rest on the page that Phoebe had made for Cole, with pictures that had been taking at a photo machine. The page was damp, and the words were blurred in places as though someone had been reading the page and crying, tears falling onto the paper. An overwhelming sense of sorrow washed over Piper, and she gently closed the book again. She wasn't why or how, but something told her that Cole had suffered greatly the last time he had gone down this path…and that she and her sisters were responsible for that suffering…


	9. Chapter 9

Leo orbed into the kitchen just as Piper was putting her casserole into the oven. "Where's Paige?" she asked, looking around.

"She wasn't willing to just leave Shane there all alone."

"So you just left her there?"

"Only to come back here and tell you that she's refusing to leave Shane. I'll stay close to her, don't worry."

"Don't worry? Leo, the Source wants to destroy her or turn her within the next 48 hours, and you tell me 'don't worry'?"

"He won't try to turn her," Cole said as he came into the kitchen. "Not now. You all know what he's up to, so he'll have to come up with another plan to destroy the Charmed Ones." Seeing that Piper was about to say something, he threw up his hands in mock defeat. "I know, I'm supposed to be resting, but I'm thirsty so may I please get a glass of water?"

"I didn't realize I was being that horrible," Piper said softly, turning away from him. "I sorry."

"Piper, I didn't…I didn't mean it like that. I was just joking. Come on, please don't be upset." Cole rested his hand on her shoulder, waiting for her to turn around, smiling and say 'Gotcha!' or something like that. Instead, he felt her shoulders begin to shake and realized that she was crying. "I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean to upset you. Piper…"

"I just don't want to lose you," Piper said, finally turning around so he could see her face. "I don't know how to do the 'big sister' thing and keep this family safe, so I'm sorry if I went overboard."

"It's okay, Piper. Listen to me. You're upset and you're grieving for Prue, and if mothering me is going to make you feel better than go right ahead. I do draw the line at dressing myself. Although I sometimes make an exception for Phoebe, but…"

"Okay, that was way too much information," Piper said, but she was laughing. "I get the point."

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you. But do you think I could get a hug?"

"Oh come here," Cole said, opening his arms as Piper wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"I'm so sorry," she said, remember the feeling she had gotten from the Book of Shadows in the attic.

"For what?" he asked.

"Cole," Piper said as she back away from him and held his face in her hands, "I know that you suffered in that other time line, and we were the cause of it, weren't we?"

"Piper…"

"I'm not asking you to discuss it, Cole, just know that I am so sorry and I don't want to cause you any pain this time around. Now go back up to Phoebe and I'll call you when dinner's done, okay?"

"It's going to be okay, Piper. I swear, it's going to be okay."

"Get up there, before Phoebe wonders what's happened to you," Piper said with a smile, giving him a playful push out of the kitchen. "Go on, off with you. I have a dinner to prepare, after all."

"But I didn't get my water."

"Boys," was all Piper said, rolling her eyes and getting a glass from the cupboard. "Get your water and go."

"Yes, Ma'am," he teased as he took the glass from her.

"And don't call me ma'am!" she said as he was leaving, water in hand.

"Piper, did something happen in the attic after I left?" Leo asked as Piper turned back to begin preparing a salad.

"I just…I just got a feeling is all. I know that Phoebe is the one with the premonitions, but this was more like…like feeling something that happened in a different future. I don't know how else to explain it Leo. The book opened to the page that Phoebe made for Cole and there were tears on the page. I'm just worried about him."

"That's because whether you believe it or not, you are very good at the 'keeping my family safe' thing," Leo assured her as he pulled her into his embrace. "Besides, you're not the only one watching over this family. You've got me, you know. I'm not going to just stand back and let something happen to Cole or your sisters. Honey, you don't have to bear the burden of everyone's well-being."

"I know. I just feel so angry at Prue sometimes. I know it's wrong, but I hate her for leaving me all alone."

"It's not wrong, it's grieving, Piper. But you are not all alone. You have Phoebe and Paige and Cole, and you have me. Let us help you, Piper, and we'll all get through this."

Piper wiped at her eyes and gave Leo a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for reminding me that I'm not alone. I don't want to shut anyone out. Now you'd better get back to Paige, and I'll finish dinner."

"I love you," Leo said one last time as he orbed out.

As Piper returned to her preparations, Cole stood at the top of the stairs and smiled. He had listened to the conversation between Leo and Piper, and now he had hope that Piper wasn't going to start scrying for demons to vanquish and end up a Fury after all. But just to be sure, he was going to have a little heart-to-heart with Piper later…


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while since the last update. **

**Shel, you never know what my Muse will decide to do next, so the further adventures of Junior the Purple Sailboat may just show up soon. Although lately she's rediscovered her love of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and it could be scary to have her writing about Junior while singing "I can make you a man!" LOL.**

**Then again, it may not bode well for Cole and the girls in _this_ story if I can't get her to move onto something else...RHPC meets the Charmed Ones...eeks!**

"So, do you really think the Source will give up on trying to turn Paige?" Piper asked as she gave Cole a second helping of enchilada casserole. She smiled at the knowledge that he enjoyed her cooking that much.

"Yes," he managed to say between bites. "Piper, this is the best."

"You always did appreciate my cooking," Piper said, "unlike some others who take it for granted."

"Hey! I appreciate your cooking," Phoebe protested.

"I just wish we could all sit down as a family and have a normal meal once in a while, you know?"

As if on cue Leo orbed in with Paige, who looked like she had been crying. "What happened? Paige, what's the matter?" Cole asked.

"Shane…he woke up and he…he just knows that something bad happened to him, and he said that he doesn't know who or what I am but he thinks we should stay away from each other for a while."

"I'll still be able to keep an eye on him, and the spell should protect him," Leo said before any of them could ask how they were going to ensure that he was safe from the Source.

"It isn't easy to date a mere human when you're part of the supernatural world," Cole commented while motioning towards the empty seats at the table. "Join us and have something to eat. There's no problem that Piper's cooking can't temporarily make better."

"Come on, let me get you a plate," Piper said, taking Paige's hand and gently pulling her over to the table. "Leo, will you be joining us as well?"

"Pass up your cooking, honey? Never," Leo said before giving Piper a kiss.

Paige ate in silence, except for commenting that Piper's dinner was delicious. "I guess I should be getting home," Paige said, but Phoebe stopped her.

"Don't be ridiculous. You can stay here, so we can protect you in case anything happens."

"Phoebe's right. You can stay in…in Prue's room." Piper hadn't expected it to be so hard to say that, and Paige immediately saw the pain in Piper's eyes.

"No, that's okay. I'll just sleep on the couch."

"No, Paige, you are our sister, and you will not sleep on the couch when there is a perfectly good bed upstairs that isn't being used."

"Piper is right, and I'm sure one of my nightgowns will fit you fine," Phoebe told her.

"Well…okay."

After dinner, Cole and Phoebe did the dishes so that Piper could show Paige up to Prue's room and Leo could check on some charges. "So, are things going differently then they did the last time?" Phoebe asked as she handed Cole a plate to dry.

"They certainly are, Phoebe."

"Different better? Or different worse?"

"Better, I think. All that matters to me is that you and I are together."

"Did something happen to…to us?"

"I don't want to talk about that," Cole quickly replied, setting the plate down. It was the last of the dishes to be washed, so he folded the towel and hung it over the oven door to dry.

"Cole, please don't do this. Don't push me away."

"I'm not pushing you away Phoebe, I just…don't ask me to talk about it. It's too painful."

"I hurt you that badly?"

Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering her. "Yes, Phoebe," he said, feeling the tears start to sting his eyes. "Yes, you did."

"Oh god…Cole, I never want to hurt you."

"I know, but…things change. People change. We changed."

"This time will be different."

"How can you be so sure? You don't know what happened before."

"But I know you. And I know that there is a pain so deep in you that it will never completely go away, but I am going to spend every second loving you and trying to make up for whatever happened to you. I swear, Cole, I never want to hurt you."

"I know Phoebe."

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. _I hurt you? Why would I hurt you? What happened to us? I need to know…_

"What do you say we head up to bed? I'm kind of tired after all that's happened."

"Good idea. Come on, I'll tuck you in myself," Phoebe said with a sly grin.

"You understand why I can't tell you about it, don't you?"

"Yes, Cole, I do understand that some things just hurt too much to talk about. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to smother you with love and affection all the same."

"I love you so much, Phoebe."

"It's going to be okay. I mean, Prue went to the Fates to save you, which is a pretty big vote of confidence."

"You two still washing dishes?" Piper asked as she came into the kitchen.

"Just finished," Cole told her. "Paige?"

"Getting ready for bed. I found one of Prue's nightgowns that fit her, so you don't have to get her one, Phoebe."

"Thanks. We were just about to head up to bed ourselves."

"Goodnight, then. Sleep well." Piper hugged her younger sister and kissed her cheek like she did every night, then surprised Cole by doing the same with him. "Sweet dreams, okay?" she said softly.

"Thank you, Piper. Sweet dreams to you, too."

True to her word, Phoebe had Cole tucked into bed before she changed into her own pajamas and sat on the bed beside him, on top of the covers.

"Phoebe, what are you doing?"

"Taking care of you. Now you just relax and go to sleep, okay? You've been through a lot."

"Why aren't you getting under the covers?"

"I just wanted to sit up for a while and make sure you're okay."

"You're not going to go anywhere are you?"

"I'll be right here." Seeing that Cole wasn't going to relax, she slid under the covers and snuggled up against him. "It's okay, baby. We're all going to be okay."

He wrapped his arms around her and finally felt like he could go to sleep, knowing that Phoebe was there and would be there when he woke up. Just as he was drifting off, though, he whispered in her ear, "Never give up on us, Phoebe."

"Piper, could I talk to you for a minute?" Cole asked after he had seen Leo orb out to check on Shane and another charge. Phoebe was still sleeping and he had managed to slip out of their bed without disturbing her.

"Sure." She frowned briefly but motioned for Cole to follow her into the sunroom. "Is something wrong?"

"Why does something have to be wrong for me to talk to you, Piper?"

"Well, you got out of bed early enough that Phoebe would still be sleeping, but you waited until after Leo was gone to approach me. Unless you want help planning a surprise party for my sister and my husband..."

"Okay, okay, I can see where you might be suspicious. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Being thrust into the role of eldest sister can't be easy."

"No, it's not," she said with a small smile, "but it helps to know that I can lean on you and Leo for help keeping my two little sisters safe."

"Always," he replied, setting a hand on her arm. "But you have to let us help keep you safe, too. You are the heart and soul of this family, Piper. You always were."

"I used to feel sometimes like I was the only grown up in this house, and I wondered if Prue and Phoebe would ever get along, and now it seems like so much time was wasted fighting."

"Are you angry with Prue?"

"No, not anymore. Not since Lachesis said what she did about Prue playing a role in things still. And I do believe what you said before about only Shax and the Source being to blame for her death. Is that why we hurt you in that other reality? Did I blame you for Prue's death?"

"No, at least I...I don't think you did. You blamed Prue, though, and that unexpressed anger made you reckless and vulnerable. I can see that you aren't the same Piper, though. You're going to be okay."

"We're all going to be okay. You want some breakfast?"

"I should get back up there before Phoebe wakes up and wonders where I am."

"Okay. And Cole?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Just thank you."

He stood there and watched as Piper made her way back into the kitchen, followed by the sound of her preparing breakfast for the family. _Piper seems much more at peace this time. Surely that will make things better in the long run._

Cole went back to bed but he knew that he wouldn't be getting back to sleep. Soon the smell of Piper's cooking reached him and Phoebe.

"Mmm...blueberries..." Phoebe mumbled as she woke up smiling.

"I think Piper's fixed breakfast, so what do you say we head down there while the food is still hot?"

"I love how your mind works," she said, turning onto her side and giving him a little kiss. "And I love waking up next to you. I'm so glad that you've stuck around instead of going off to hide. I don't think I could sleep at night if I was by myself."

"You're not alone, baby. No one's going to be alone, okay? Now let's go get breakfast."

"We should let Paige know that breakfast is ready. I'll knock on the door and let her know while you go down and let Piper know that she's about to have a kitchen full of hungry people." Phoebe kissed him again, then slid out from under the sheets, put her slippers on and padded down the hall in her flannel pajamas to get Paige up.

"Phoebe's getting Paige up so she can have breakfast with us," Cole said, yawning.

"Did someone get up a bit too early this morning?" Piper teased.

"I guess so."

"Why don't you go back up to bed and get some sleep? Go on, it'll be a girls-only morning, give us some time to bond with Paige."

"That's probably a good idea. Just don't let me sleep through all three meals today, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it. And Cole...thank you again."

"I didn't do anything, Piper."

"You care. And you've been here when we've needed you – when I needed you."

"I'll always be here for all of you. You'd better turn your attention back to breakfast, I think the pancakes are burning."

"What? I...oh no!" Piper rushed over to the stove and flipped the pancakes over, sighing when she saw that one side of them was now a very dark brown. "Oh well, they'll never look on the bottom," she said to herself as she waited for the cakes to finish before stacking them onto a plate.

"Mmm, something smells good. I'll bet it's blueberry pancakes."

"Does she do this every morning?"

"Just about, so plan on eating a lot."

"Maybe I'd better go back to my apartment before I can't get into my own pants."

"Don't be silly, honey, fighting demons keeps you trim. Piper! Did you make pancakes?"

The sound of her sisters' voices reacher her, and Piper smiled. "Some things will never change, will they Prue?" said asked quietly before picking up the plate of pancakes and heading for the kitchen table to feed her hungry siblings.


	11. Chapter 11

"I still don't know why I need to know this stuff. If we're witches and have powers, then why do I need to know how to cook a bunch of herbs?"

"Because, Paige," Piper said, obviously nearing the end of her patience, "sometimes powers aren't enough. Our powers can't vanguish a demon; we need a spell or a potion."

"I was never much of a cook, maybe I should go up and look at that big book in the attic, learn some spells or something."

"If you're going to survive, if we're all going to continue as the Charmed Ones, you have got to take this learning seriously. Being a witch is literally a life and death job, and resigning is not an option."

"Okay, okay, I get it, but can we please take a break?"

"Fine," Piper said, tossing the wooden spoon she had been using into the sink with an exasperated sigh.

"I'll be upstairs reading through the book..."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Why not? Aren't I a Charmed One too?"

"Paige, that book contains generations of magic. It's not something you just flip through like a picture album."

"Then I'm going back to my apartment to get some things."

"Not by yourself you're not."

"Ohhhhh!" Paige shrieked in frustration. "I'm not a little kid and I'm not your prisoner!"

"No, you're my sister, and I am trying to keep you from ending up in the cemetery next to Prue!"

"Well I never asked you too! I had a perfectly good life before you...you freaks turned me into one of you!"

Cole shimmered into the sunroom just in time to hear Paige's last words, followed by angry footsteps and the front door slamming.

"That went well," Piper said aloud, leaning against the sink.

"What went well? And where was Hurricane Paige headed off to?"

"Cole, I didn't realize you were here. Where did you come from?"

"Rumor has it that one night my mother and father got..."

"Must you be a smart ass right now? Paige is out there alone and vulnerable to the Source and being turned evil, and you're...you're..."

"Going to find Paige. Call Leo, I might need some help getting her to come back."

"Hey, where's Phoebe?"

"I guess still out shopping. I decided to shimmer around a bit to throw off any bounty hunters that might have started to zero in on the Manor. It's going to work out, Piper, you just have to give it some time."

"She's not even interested in learning the things that she needs to know."

"What were you trying to teach her?"

"Potions. Why are you having a conversation with me? You need to go and find Paige."

"I will," he assured Piper before shimmering out.

"And I thought being the middle sister trying to keep peace between Prue and Phoebe was hard," Piper said with a sigh as she began to clean up the kitchen. "Leo, orb your butt down here!"

* * *

Cole went to Paige's apartment and shimmered inside to wait for her to return. It was a risk, but he figured if he could scare her into orbing maybe it would force her to see that she was part of the world of magic whether she liked it or not, and that she couldn't just run away. 

Before Paige arrived, Leo orbed in beside him. "Cole, what are you doing here? How did you even know where she lives?"

"Because she lived here in the other reality, too."

"So what do we do now?"

"I'm going to scare her, hopefully that still triggers her to orb and it will make her see that she can't escape from being a witch."

"And if that doesn't work?"

Cole just shrugged. "She's **_your_** charge, Leo, not mine."

"And I suppose you're going to tell me that you're only interested in saving her because she's Phoebe's sister?"

"Exa--"

Cole never got to finish that thought because it was at that moment that Paige opened her door and came in, shut the door, saw the two men, screamed and orbed away.

"--are you doing in my apartment?" Paige shrieked as she orbed back in.

"Paige, please..." Leo began, but Paige cut him off.

"Out! Just get out! Now, before I start screaming for help!"

"Go ahead, scream for help," Cole said, leaning back against the wall with his arms folded. "What are you going to say to whoever shows up? Leo's your brother-in-law, I'm dating your other sister, and your sisters were concerned and asked us to check up on you."

"And I'm sure the police will explain to you that being shacked up with my sisters doesn't give you the right to enter my apartment without my permission."

"Of course then you'll have to explain how we got in here without any visible signs of breaking in unless you let us in yourself."

"I've been at the Manor, for all I know you took my key and had a copy made so you could let yourself in whenever you want. I'll tell them you're stalking me."

"Assuming, of course, that we stick around. Leo can orb away and I can shimmer off before anyone arrives, and they'll just assume that you're an attention seeker."

"Fine. So what do you want?"

"It's not safe for you to be running off by yourself," Leo told her gently.

"Then tell your wife to stop acting like she runs a prison!"

"She just lost one sister, and she's afraid of losing another one that she just met," Cole said.

"That doesn't give her the right to treat me like a five year old."

"Paige, I'll talk to her and we'll work something out. I'm sure Piper doesn't even realize how she's acting. Please, just come back to the Manor with us so we can keep you safe."

"I'll come back on one condition – if I want to go out, I can so long as I tell someone where I'm going and when I'll be back. Deal?"

Leo looked to Cole, who just shrugged. "I'll let Piper know that's one of your conditions for returning to the Manor. Now let's go." He held out his hand to orb Paige back, but she shook her head.

"You go back there and tell Piper what the terms are, and if she agrees you can come and orb me back."

Before Leo could object, Cole spoke up. "I'll stay here while you talk to Piper. Don't worry, I'm perfectly capable of shimmering her to safety."

Shaking his head, Leo orbed away and Paige sighed. "Piper'll never agree."

"You don't know that, Paige. She just wants her family to be safe."

"How did a demon end up helping witches do good anyway?"

_I guess Piper and Phoebe didn't tell her everything when they talked to her and told her I was a demon. _"I fell in love with Phoebe, and I had to be good if I was going to be with her."

"So you did it all for love, huh?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Piper doesn't really want me around, you know. I'm just a handy replacement for the sister she lost."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is. While we were working on potions, she called me Prue a few times and didn't even realize it."

"Give her a chance. Piper is a good, loving person with a very kind heart. Let her get to know you, and you take the time to get to know her."

"I guess I should be thankful that Piper's trying to teach me stuff."

"Yes, you should. Piper is a good teacher, and she knows what she's talking about. You don't even know how to use your active powers, so you need to know potions and spells to protect yourself." Paige looked down at the ground and sighed, and Cole sighed as well. "That doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to speak up when you feel that you're not being treated right."

"Thanks. I guess I have at least one ally."

"Piper and Phoebe aren't your enemies. We aren't exactly a normal family, but we all want you to be a part of it if you'll just give us a chance."

"So, think you could shimmer me back to the Manor? I'd kind of like to apologize to Piper."

* * *

"I'm just trying to keep her safe, Leo. She has no idea what kinds of things she'll be faced with." 

"And that's why she doesn't understand your behavior towards her. I listened in for a few seconds after she and Cole thought that I had left. She said that you called her Prue while you were teaching her to make potions."

"I did not...well not intentionally. It must have just been a slip of the tongue."

"But to her, it just proves that you consider her to be nothing but a good substitute for the sister you lost."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Piper had walked away from him to start setting the table for dinner, and Leo followed her. "Listen, all I'm asking is that you try to see things from her point of view. She's gone from normal person with no family to Charmed One with a family of magic in the blink of an eye."

Piper and Leo both looked towards the dining room as Cole and Paige shimmered in.

"Paige? Decided to come back, did you?"

"Yeah, and Piper, I owe you an apology. I'm really sorry for acting the way that I did and for storming out."

"And I'm sorry that I was treating you the way that I was. It's not that I don't think that you're capable of handling things, it's just that Phoebe and I didn't have the benefit of someone to teach us about magic. We want you to benefit from the knowledge of our mistakes."

"So do you think maybe we could start over fresh tomorrow?"

"Wait, what about the conditions that you had for returning?" Leo asked.

"Cole made me see that I was being stubborn and selfish, and that Piper is just trying to ensure that nothing happens. But once the 48 hour windows has closed, I expect to be able to go back to my apartment. Agreed?"

"Agreed, and we'll start over tomorrow. Dinner won't be for a couple of hours so maybe Leo can take you up and explain the Book of Shadows since Phoebe doesn't seem to be home yet."

"Nah, I was kind of hoping I could help you with dinner."

"Oh, you cook?"

"No, not really, but hey, maybe you can teach me."

"Come on, sis, you and I have a dinner to prepare."

* * *

"I missed you so much, you really should have come with me to the mall," Phoebe said, setting her bags down as she entered her bedroom. "So did anything exciting happen while I was gone?" 

"No, nothing exciting." Cole was lying on her bed, flipping through a magazine. "Shimmered around to throw off the bounty hunters, then came here to wait for you."

"Nothing exciting huh? That's not what I heard." Phoebe began rummaging through her bag and pulled out a sheer teddy in sky blue. "So, what do you think?"

"What do you mean that's not what you heard?"

"I ran into Leo downstairs. He said that Paige and Piper butted heads, and you helped him smooth things over. So either you talk to me and tell me what went on between you and my sisters, or you will never get to see me in this," she threatened, waiving the blue teddy.

"It's no big deal. Paige is just new to this whole magic thing and Piper is trying to get her caught up with the entire world of magic too fast. There was bound to be a blow up sooner or later."

"And?" Phoebe had dropped the teddy into the bag and crawled onto the bed, snuggled up against him with her hand on his chest so she could feel his heartbeat. "Tell me about the part where you came in and saved the day."

Cole chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I shimmered in just as Paige was storming out. I went to wait for her in her apartment and Leo showed up there too. We talked to her and convinced her to give us another chance."

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"It wasn't a big deal."

"Well it is to me. Thank you for wanting to keep Paige safe."

"She's your sister, Phoebe, and if you lose her, then you lose the Power of Three."

"You know what, I don't care what the reason was, you managed to negotiate peace between my sisters and for that I thank you."

"Does that mean I get to see you in the teddy later?"

"Maybe. I want to know what it is that you aren't telling me. Don't think that I can't see how you've been getting close to Piper."

"Phoebe, I swear, I..."

"Shhh, it's all right. I didn't mean it like that." Phoebe rubbed his arm, aware the instant that he had tensed up. "I wasn't implying anything was going on between the two of you. I just can't help wondering what happened to Piper in that other universe that you're trying so hard to prevent. She's my sister, Cole, and I have a right to know what happened so that I can help you prevent it."

"And that is where it becomes a slippery slope. Don't you see, Phoebe, if I tell you about a demon that in the other time attacked you next week, then you'll put all of your energies into finding a way to vanquish that demon. But if things have been changed enough that another demon attacks instead, you'll be caught off guard and that would be a very dangerous situation to be in."

"So let us worry about that. Demons catch us off-guard all the time. You can't bear this burden alone, Cole. Baby please, tell me what happened in that other time. Not so we can change it or prevent it; so you can let go of the pain and the fear that is obviously eating you up inside. Let me help you. Please." Phoebe rested her head on his chest, and his arm held her close to him.

"I don't know if I can without..."

"Let the future worry about itself. At least tell me what it was that I did that hurt you so much."

"I don't want to talk about that. It brings back too much pain and anger, and I'm trying to leave all of that behind and just focus on how much I love you and you love me."

"Maybe it would be better if you did talk about it and get it out in the open instead of hiding your pain all the time. I know that I'm not technically the one that hurt you, but I don't want you thinking about how much you suffered every time you look at me."

"And I don't. I guess I'd just like to forget everything that happened before."

"But you can't because you're still trying to fix things. Don't carry this burden by yourself. Let me help you. Let **us** help you."

"Right now, I just want to make love to you Phoebe."

"You're trying to change the subject, Cole."

"Mmm-hmm." He kissed her, then began kissing her neck while his hand rubbed her stomach.

"We're not through with this conversation."

"Of course not." He resumed kissing her neck, his hand moving up to slip beneath her top.

"Although you do make a convincing argument for letting it go for now."

* * *

"Forget about turning the youngest sister," the Oracle said as the Source paced around the chambers. "There are other ways to chip away at the Charmed Ones." 

"Such as?"

"The Furies are active around San Francisco, and one of the sisters still has a lot of pent up anger and resentment because of the events following the death of Prudence. Get the Charmed Ones to cross paths with the Furies, and that sister will be vulnerable to becoming a Fury herself. No more Power of Three and no more Charmed Ones."

"That is an interesting thought, dear Oracle, but how am I supposed to get the Charmed Ones and the Furies to meet?"

"Simple. You suggest to them that they attack near the eldest sister's club. The Charmed Ones won't be able to ignore demonic activity on their own turf, and with any luck the Furies will be able to get the traitor Belthazor as well."

* * *

"Dinner's ready," Piper said, knocking on Phoebe's door. "You two okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Be right down." Phoebe smiled, reaching with her hand to touch Cole's face. As soon as she made contact she gasped, her body going rigid as the premonition hit her.

_Three women with tribal markings on their bodies, wild hair and long, talon-like fingernails, were standing around a dark-haired man who was crouched down on the ground, holding his head and saying, "I'm sorry, please stop it! I'm sorry!" He looked up just as his entire body burst into flames, piercing blue eyes pleading for forgiveness before he was reduced to ashes._

"Phoebe? What is it baby? What did you see?"

Taking a deep breath, Phoebe looked up at him and felt the tears stinging her eyes. "You...I saw you."


	12. Chapter 12

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in getting another chapter up, but you know how real life can be when it rears its ugly head. Anyway, here's chapter 12.

* * *

"Hey, it's going to be okay. What exactly did you see?" 

"You were on the ground, and these three she-demons were standing around you. You said that you were sorry, and then you...you were consumed by flames."

He held Phoebe and rocked her as she burst into tears. "Shh, it's all right. It's all going to be all right. You saw the Furies. We went up against them in that other time."

"Did they attack you then, too?"

"Well...in that other time line, Piper was so angry about Prue's death that she was scrying for evil and demons all over the city. The Furies were one of the demons that we crossed. They used Piper's anger to turn her into a Fury." Phoebe started to cry harder, and Cole kissed the top of her head. "Piper seems to have gotten over her anger. I don't think she's in any danger from the Furies now."

"But you clearly are. Come on, get dressed so I can tell Piper and Paige what I saw. We **will** find a way to protect you from them."

"Let's go down so you can tell Paige and Piper about your premonition." He kissed the top of her head and added, "Did it ever occur to you that some premonitions were just to prepare you for what's to come?"

"What are you saying, Cole?"

"That you can't save every innocent, Phoebe."

"Maybe not, but I'm damned well going to save you. Come on."

* * *

"Are you sure it was Cole that you saw?" Piper asked as she set the mashed potatoes on the table. 

"Yes, I am sure that it was Cole I saw."

"And you recognized the demons she described?"

Cole nodded. "They're Furies."

"Furies? As in mythology? Dog-faced women from hell?"

"Modern knock-offs. They punish evil-doers with no temperance. Shoplifters and murderers are the same to them."

"But if they are demons, then why would they be attacking a demon?" Paige asked before helping herself to a roll.

"Because I'm not a demon to them. I'm a traitor. When I saved Phoebe, everything changed."

"Saved Phoebe from what?"

"We'll fill you in later, Paige. Right now we have to figure out how to protect him from these Furies."

"Actually, Phoebe, what the three of you need to do is talk about anything that you've been holding back. In good people, the Furies use unexpressed rage to turn the person into a Fury."

"And would you be speaking from experience? Did one of us turn into a Fury in that other reality?" Paige asked.

"Piper."

"What?"

"Piper, you're the one that turned into a Fury."

"Me?"

"You hated Prue for leaving you. That gave the Furies the portal they needed, and they used it to turn you."

"Well I can tell you that I don't hate Prue. I hated Leo at first for healing me and letting Prue die, but I don't hate him now and I don't hate Prue. Lachesis said the she has a new destiny in the afterlife, and I believe that. Phoebe?"

"I'm not angry with anyone except the Source for taking Prue from us, but that's hardly something that I've held back."

The two oldest Halliwells looked to their new little sister, who seemed shocked. "Don't look at me, guys. Okay, I admit that I'm sad that I never got the chance to meet Prue, but I don't hate anyone except the demon that killed her and then tried to kill me."

"After dinner we'll check the Book of Shadows and see what we can find," Piper told them all. "Surely we can figure out a vanquish."

"Who are you vanquishing?" Leo asked, orbing in just in time to hear the last of Piper's words.

"Furies. Phoebe saw them in her premonition. Do you know anything about them?"

"Only that the demonic version seeks vengeance rather than justice. I can go up and see if the Elders know anything."

"You know what, forget the Elders. They didn't help us when we really needed them, and it cost us a sister. We don't need them now."

"Piper..."

"The Elders have put us through so much, and for what? When have they ever helped us?"

"Now is not the time to go off on the Elders, okay? We have got to find a way to save Cole, and we need whatever help we can get. Leo, go."

Leo orbed out, and Piper finally look Phoebe in the eye. "We are not going to let anything happen to Cole, all right? But don't be surprised when Leo comes back and says that the Elders don't know anything that can help us."

"I could shimmer down there, see if I can find out anything about..."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Piper..."

"She's right, honey," Phoebe told him. "It kind of defeats the purpose of us trying to protect you from these demons if you're going to shimmer down where you're fair game."

* * *

The Book of Shadows had no more information on the Furies then what Cole had told them, and as Piper predicted Leo returned with nothing from the Elders. "So what do we do now?" Paige asked. 

"Phoebe, from your premonition could you tell anything about when or where the attack takes place?"

"No, Leo, it was too dark. All I could see was Cole and the demons surrounding him. It was dark but not necessarily a nighttime dark. It could just as easily have been inside a dark building."

"Or a dark basement or any number of places. We need a plan, and we need to come up with a vanquish for these Furies. Phoebe, you're the best at writing spells, why don't you and Paige try to come up with something. I'm going to see if I can mix up a potion that will possibly keep these Furies from focusing on Cole."

"Great, any idea how we do that?"

"Summon a demon that they would want worse than Cole?"

"Paige, there is no demon that they want worse than Cole. He betrayed the Source," Phoebe replied.

"Wait a minute..what if we used some of Cole's blood to lure them away from him?"

"Piper, I'm not following," Phoebe said.

"Me neither," Cole added.

"We write a spell to summon the Furies, and then Leo orbs us from place to place and we say the spell and leave some of Cole's blood behind. As long as Leo orbs us away before the Furies show up, we'll be fine. That should confuse them long enough that we can write a spell to either vanquish them or make Cole invisible to them before they figure out where he is."

"And where would Cole be while we're orbing around the planet saying spells?"

"Here at the Manor."

"Alone?"

"Well if he shimmers with us the Furies will pick up on him instead of the blood we're leaving behind so it would kind of defeat the purpose, don't you think?"

"The power stripping potion," Phoebe suddenly said. "If we used the power stripping potion then no demon would be able to track you."

"Phoebe..."

"Wait, you saved some of it?" Piper asked. "Why would you save some of it?"

"I made another bottle after...that night. In case we needed it."

"Destroy it, Phoebe."

"Cole, why would you --"

"Destroy it. That potion was the reason everything went wrong before. I'd rather die than go through that again."

"Was that potion specific to Belthazor?" Paige asked. "Could it be used on another demon, like say these Furies?"

"The demon has to drink it for the potion to work. I doubt the Furies are going to willingly join us in a toast."

"No, the demon doesn't have to drink it. In that other time, it was just thrown at me and it worked."

"But that doesn't mean that it will work the same way on every type of demon."

"Piper, it's our best chance. Let's try it," Phoebe pleaded. "What have we got to lose?"

"Our lives, that's what we've got to lose."

"Then let me try to get the Furies with the potion," Cole told them.

"No..."

"Phoebe, please listen to me. I would rather die than live through what I went through in that other reality. I won't let you and your sisters risk your lives when I can do this myself. If the potion doesn't work and they kill me, just remember that it was my choice. I would die to protect you and your sisters."

"I don't want to live without you."

"Don't say that Phoebe.

"Okay, let's all stop with the talk about dying," Piper told them. "Cole stays here, Leo can orb us all somewhere far away to say the spell and when the Furies show up we throw the potion and hope that it works."

"The Furies don't travel anywhere alone. How are you going to hit three or more Furies with one bottle of potion?"

"Alright, Cole has a point," Piper admitted, "so we'll go back to our original plan. Leo orbs us around and we keep summoning the Furies to different locations and leaving some of his blood behind so that they're confused and can't tell where he really is. That buys us some time to come up with another plan or more of the power stripping potion."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Wow, I had no idea that this story had such a following. Here's a short chapter just so you know that the story hasn't been completely forgotten and I will try to update as time and inspiration allow.

* * *

"You really think this will work?" Cole asked as Phoebe kissed his cut hand while Paige corked the vials that contained his blood.

"Yes, I do. I just don' like you being all alone here while we're doing this."

"I'll be fine, Phoebe. It's you and your sisters I'm worried about."

"How's it going?" Piper came into the kitchen with a piece of parchment that she had started writing a spell on.

"We've got enough of Cole's blood for seven tries. How's the spell coming along?" Paige asked.

"Well, I used the spell to summon a Vengeance Demon as my base so hopefully it's close enough to summon the Furies. Maybe Phoebe could look it over and see if it sounds good?"

"Sure, hand it over, sis."

While Phoebe picked up a pen and concentrated on making little corrections to Piper's spell, Cole concentrated on Piper. There was still anger just beneath the surface, and he was afraid that the Furies could still use it against her. _At least it isn't the rage that it was the last time. No, I think – I hope – that Piper will be okay._

"You want me to call Leo to heal that hand, Cole?" Piper asked, but he shook his head.

"No, it'll be okay. Besides, I don't think we should disturb Leo while he's out trying to get a fix on the Furies."

"How is the spell coming along, Phoebe?" Paige finally asked to break the silence that had settled over them.

"The spell is done," Phoebe announced. "now we just have to wait for Leo to get back.

"I'm going to fix some sandwiches," Piper announced, going into the kitchen.

"Cooking is a coping mechanism for her," Phoebe said when Paige looked slightly surprised by her oldest sister's actions. "It's what she's familiar with and what she's good at."

* * *

Phoebe and Paige were quietly sitting with Cole when Leo orbed in. 

"Please tell me you have good news," Paige said, but Leo shook his head sadly.

"I can't get a fix on them. They could be anywhere."

"Well that's why we have the spell and the vials of Cole's blood, right?" Piper said, smiling as she brought in a tray of sandwiches. "I mean, that's the whole point of this, right? We're summoning them to us, and while it would be nice to have some idea where they are so we can plan where to orb to, it's not necessary. Now everybody eat, then we go out and kick some demonic ass."


	14. Chapter 14

"All right, we have our locations picked out, the potion and Cole's blood have been mixed and are ready, let's get going." Piper paused before addressing Cole. "You do not leave this house unless it's on fire. The crystals we put out are only strong enough to form a shield around this structure. If so much as a finger goes out the door..."

"And it won't stop demons from entering so no shimmering and no going near windows. If they know that you're in here..."

"I get it, Phoebe, believe me."

"We just worry honey." Phoebe wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest as she spoke. "So please, promise you will not do anything to make your presence known to the demonic world."

"I promise, if you and your sisters do the same."

"We'll be careful, Cole."

"There's plenty of food in the fridge if you get hungry," Piper said, grabbing Phoebe's hand so that all three of the girls and Leo were connected. They orbed away and Cole was left standing there, wondering what he should do while they were gone.

* * *

"Speak, Oracle." 

"It appears the furies are getting some magical assistance. Belthazor shall soon be in their grasp."

"Assistance? From where?"

"The Charmed Ones."

"Are you certain?"

The Oracle gave a slight shrug. "Seeing into the future is always uncertain when magic forces are in play. I only tell what I see."

"Why would the Charmed Ones aid the Furies?"

"Most likely, they don't yet realize that they are."

* * *

"I understand chosing isolated locations, but weren't there any _warm_ isolated places?"

"You're a grown-up Paige. Stop whining."

"Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry I snapped at you," Piper said. "I guess we could have picked a warmer spot for our first stop."

"Can we please just do this and get it over with?" Phoebe asked. "I'm glad we get to say that we've visited the one remaining bit of tundra in the United States, but Wisconsin is loosing its appeal by the second."

Phoebe tossed the vial and after it broke, spilling its contents, the girls said the spell and waited with Leo behind an outcropping of rocks to see if the Furies took the bait. The first one that arrived kneeled down and ran her talons through the liquid, sniffing it and then tasting it. The other Furies approached only after the first one nodded her approval, and they all repeated the actions of sniffing and tasting the mixture of Cole's blood and the potion; then they all looked to the first one, who smiled widely at her sisters and said, "I know where evil dwells."

* * *

All right, so this was almost a chapter...better than nothing, right? Right. The good news is that my computer is now spyware-free and working properly so I can actually use it.

Now, whatever shall happen next? Have the sisters inadvertently given the Furies exactly what they want? Will Cole be attacked while he's all alone? Will my computer continue to cooperate and let me get the next chapter written out before next weekend?

Guess we'll find out soon :-)


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the long time between posts. I guess I went through a phase where Charmed didn't interest me, but I'm getting back into it again so hopefully the next chapter won't take so long to get posted. **

* * *

After the girls left with Leo to carry out their plan, Cole decided to have a look around the Manor. He had never been one to sit still, and knowing what he faced if the girls failed didn't help so he looked around and found that Piper had a very neat and completely unimaginative kitchen and that one of the sisters had hidden a bag of Hershey's kisses in their grandmother's old cookie jar. Just as he was heading for the stairs to go up to Phoebe's room he felt the pain as the cries of his victims filled his ears.

"No, no, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," he pleaded, falling to his knees with his hands over his ears. "No..." This was it, the girls had failed and now the Furies were going to finish him off --

"Cole!" Phoebe yelled, rushing over to him as soon as Leo had orbed them to the Manor.

Three women covered with tribal markings appeared in a puff of smoke just a second later, obviously ready for a fight. One of them grabbed Leo and threw him into the bookcase, rendering him unconscious. Phoebe levitated and managed to kick two of them as they went for Cole, but it only succeeded in making them angrier.

Piper tried to freeze the demons but it had no affect. "They're...they're immune to my powers!"

"Book!" Paige called, and the Book of Shadows appeared in her waiting hands. "Please, let there be something in here," she mumbled, flipping through the pages while her sisters fought with the Furies.

Cole tried to form an energy ball but the Furies kept the girls between themselves and Cole so he wouldn't get a clear enough shot to hit them without taking out Phoebe or her sisters. One of the Furies stayed to the back of the other two, who were fighting like wildcats, and kept enough of her focus on Cole to ensure that he wouldn't be shimmering around. He couldn't even sustain the small energy ball and resorted to staying curled up on the floor, unable to help in the fight.

And then, suddenly, the Furies were frozen in place. "Piper, I thought they were immune to your power," Phoebe said.

"They are. I didn't do this."

Phoebe tried to levitate but her power was gone, as was Piper's power to explode and Paige's ability to orb things. "Umm, guys, you might want to see this," Leo said from where he was looking out the window, holding his head where it hit the ground.

After helping Phoebe get Cole on his feet and making sure he was all right, the girls joined Leo at the window. Everything was frozen in time – birds in mid-flight, kids on their bicycles, water spraying out of fountains.

"Leo?"

"I don't know who has the power to do this, Piper, and I can't orb so there's no way for me to ask the Elders."

"If it was a demon I think they would have frozen us so the Furies could finish us off," Cole remarked.

"Indeed, if I was demon you would all be quite dead by now." All heads turned to stare at the young woman who stood on the landing.

"And you would be?" Paige asked, finding her voice.

"My name is Clothos. You already know my sister, Lachesis."

"You're the one who weaves the tale," Cole said, walking towards her. "You're the one who changed things."

"Well actually it took all three of us to change things."

A violet flash brought three more women into the foyer. "Is this them?" one asked. "Is this the ones who have mocked us?"

"Yes, Maegara, these demons are the ones who have mocked you and called themselves Furies."

"Who are you?" Paige asked.

"You know us as the Furies," Maegera answered. "It is past time that we dealt with these imposters. Stop looking so nervous, Cole. We have no business with you."

"Are you ready?" Clothos asked, and the three newcomers nodded. With a slight wave of her hand Clothos unfroze everyone, but this time the demons were on the receiving end of their own magic as the Furies focused on them. Soon the three demons burst into flames and were gone, and the Furies disappeared as well.

"Would someone like to tell me what the hell just happened?" Piper said.

"I think the good guys just won this round," Phoebe said as she went to check on Cole.

"I'm all right," he insisted.

"You will be," Clothos said, reminding everyone that she was still there.

"You knew," Paige said, pointing a finger at the young Fate standing before them. "You knew that this would happen, and you let it happen."

"Yes."

"Why?" Phoebe demanded. "Why let it go this far? Cole could have been killed! We could have been killed!"

"Because you all needed to learn a lesson. You don't think things through and you get surprised by the consequences. This was a perfect example. Yes, using Cole's blood to lure the Furies worked, but you didn't think of the consequences to Cole."

"Using Cole's blood to lure them also gave the Furies a way to track him," Piper said, bringing her hands up to cover her face briefly.

"There was no other way to lure the Furies."

"Maybe so, Paige, but we should have thought about what could happen so we could keep Cole safe," Phoebe answered. "You're right, we did need to learn a lesson."

"Clothos, what are you doing still down here?" It was Lachesis who had appeared beside her younger sister.

Clothos sighed. "I never get to come down here. It's not fair. I spin the fates for the occupants of this world, I should get to see them!"

"You know that you can't. We are impartial, and if you stay down here and interact with any more people it will affect the fates of too many."

"I'm not ready to go back, and I won't until I decide that I want to!" Clothos was gone in a flash, and Lachesis sighed.

"How much damage can she do out there?" Leo asked.

"She could change the course of the future if she starts altering the tapestry of too many people."

"Can she protect herself?"

"As the weaver, she is the youngest but also the strongest of us. The problem is we've shielded her so much that she doesn't fully understand the strength of her powers."

"We'll help you find her," Phoebe said.

"Then there's something else you should know. The threads she has already woven will start to unravel if she's gone more than one rotation from of the sun. You have 24 hours to find her before things really get ugly."

"Let's head up to the attic and get to work then. Maybe the book can give us some way of finding a runaway Fate."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Wow, it's been two years and three computers since I last even thought about this story. Yeah, I "let go" and moved on to other things but it seems that even after a few years there are still people reading this and that just amazes me. So I pulled the old hard drive and found what I could of this story to try and continue it. Hope you like this new chapter :)**

* * *

"Just so I'm understanding this correctly," Piper said, "one of the Fates has decided to run away from home and we have 24 hours to find her and get her to go back?"

"Yes, that is correct. I'm sorry that I can't stay and help you, but Aptos and I must return to our home to protect the threads that have been woven. Good luck."

Lachesis left, and Paige started going through the Book of Shadows that she was still holding. "Surely there's something in here about Fates."

"Put the book back where it belongs and maybe we'll get a little help," Phoebe said, looking upwards as Paige put the book back.

"Lachesis said that Clothos is like a child, so maybe we should look for her where children want to go."

"Great, Paige, Leo can orb us to Disneyland."

"That's not what I meant, Piper."

"Anybody care to hear my thoughts?"

"Cole, of course we do," Phoebe told him.

"I think all she wants is to see this world that she's never been allowed to interact with. She probably didn't go far."

"The park." Piper looked at all of them before continuing. "If she's curious about this world, why not go where she can observe lots of people? At the park she can just sit and watch hundreds of people."

"Sounds like a good place to start. Do we want to split up or stay together?" Paige asked.

"We should probably stay together. If word gets out in the Underworld that a Fate is on the loose, the Source will want to capture her, and I really don't see this going undetected for long."

"Leo's right. Let's all stick together. Should we start with Golden Gate Park?" Phoebe asked.

* * *

It hadn't taken Clothos long to figure out that she needed to change her appearance to blend in with these humans that she so wanted to see. Dark brown curls partially hid her face and green eyes flashed in the sunlight, a blue cotton dress and sandals replacing the white gown she wore when she first came to the Manor. Her sisters had been right when they'd said she had powerful magic, but why they wouldn't let her come down to this wonderful world she still didn't understand. The warm sun felt good on her skin, and the salty sea spray was refreshing. Sitting down on some rocks beneath a crumbling pier, she watched the waves as they lapped lazily on the shore. In the back of her mind she could hear her sisters trying to call to her but she blocked them out. One day. All she wanted was one day to enjoy this world.

Playing with the silver chain around her neck, she pulled it out from inside her dress and gazed at the glass vial filled with sparkling white powder. It had been far too long since Clothos had used it, but one didn't add magic to the world without a great deal of though. Magic was neither good nor evil, but it was powerful and would attract both. Sighing, she tucked it back inside her top. It would do no good for her to go attracting demons, and that would surely happen if she wasn't careful.

"Hey, you, what you think you're doing on my beach?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that this beach belonged to anyone." She turned as she spoke and saw a man, probably in his 60's, with dirty, ragged clothes and long, greasy hair. She could also see the threads that she herself had woven, a pattern which resulted in the man now before her being homeless and alone.

"It's all right, kid," he said as she stood up. "You can sit a spell. Where you from?"

"Let's just say I'm a long ways from home." In her mind she was tracing the threads, trying to find the one that had resulted in the man's current situation. _There it is...if I change that one stitch..._

* * *

"Did you feel that?" Piper asked as they searched the park.

"Sort of like the world just shifted?"

"Yeah." She looked at Leo and nodded at his words. "Exactly like that."

"I thought we had 24 hours before anything happened."

"We have 24 hours before the threads that she's already woven start to unravel but nothing was said about what happens if she decides to start unraveling them sooner," Leo said in answer to Paige.

"Why would she do that?"

"She's never seen the result of her weaving before," Cole said. "Maybe she encountered something she didn't like and decided to change it."

"We have to find her fast," Leo said. "Even minor changes could have huge effects through time."


End file.
